Wheeled vehicle



July 2, 1946. w, J, HALE I 2,403,217-

I WHEELED VEHICLE I Filed Oct; 18, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. lgl

Z4 7 W 5 a I I i I 'Inventor F G v W/LA/4/V .1 H

, B; @Mm

Patented July 2, 1 946 William J. Hale, Wise, Va., assignor of one-halfto James C. Lipps, Wise, Va.

Application October 18, 1944, Serial No. 559,310

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved wheeled Vehicle of theoccupant-propelled and steered type, and an object of the invention isto provide a vehicle of this kind especially adapted for use by personswho are legless or without the use of their legs.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a three-wheeledvehicle including a low or underslung platform onto which the cripple orinvalid may readily lift himself, a front steering wheel which may bereadily controlled by one hand, driving means for the rear wheels of thevehicle including an elevated operating crank arranged to be readilyoperated by the other hand while the user assumes a sitting position onthe platform, and a back rest for the occupant of the vehicle mounted onthe rear end of the platform between the rear wheels.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the abovecharacter which is comparatively simple and durable in construction andeasy and convenient to use.

The invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanyingdrawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a wheeled vehicle constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view thereof, and

, Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the arm on the upper end of thesteering post and the steering handle carried by said arm.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present wheeled vehicleincludes a relatively wide platform 5 which is underslung or supportedat a low position near enough to the ground to enable a legless person,or one not having use of his legs, to readily lift himself onto saidplatform. As shown, the rear end of the platform is suitably mountedbeneath a rotatable rear axle 6 having rear wheels 1 equipped withpneumatic tires 8. The rear end portion of the platform extends betweenthe rear wheels, and at one side, the platform 5 is provided with alateral extension, as at 9, that projects in front of the rear wheel 1at this side of the vehicle. The wheel 1 at the side adjacent theextension 9 is equipped with a sprocket wheel I0 at its outer side, andan endless driving chain H is passed around this sprocket wheel to formpart of a driving mechanism for thevehicle. Rigid with and rising fromthe forward end of the lateral extension 9 of platform 5 is an upwardlyand rearwardly in-. clined forked post l2 having a bearing I3 at the topin which is journaled a crank shaft I4. A second sprocket wheel i5 issecured on the outer end of crankshaft l4 and has the chain I I passedaround the same. At its inner end, crank shaft I4 is provided with ahand crank l6. The platform 5 is provided at its rear end and betweenthe rear wheels 1 with a suitably constructed and braced rearwardly andupwardly inclined back rest I! against which a suitable cushion may beplaced when the vehicle is in use. Also, the platform is preferablyprovided at its rear end and at opposite sides with suitable fenders orwheel guards l8 that are supported over the upper portions of the rearwheels 1. In addition, the extension 9 carries a brace I9 that isrigidly fastened at its lower end to said extension directly in front ofthe rear wheel 1 at the adjacent side of the vehicle. This brace extendsforwardly and upwardly and connects at its upper end to the bearing l3so as to brace the post l2 'in its rearwardly and upwardly inclinedposition.

Rigidly fixed to and rising from the forward end of platform 5 at apoint midway between the rear wheels, or in the longitudinal axis of themain portion of the platform 5, is a post 20 having a forwardly curvedupper end portion rigid with the upper end of a steering column 2 l.Journaled in the steering column 2| is a steering post 22 having a fork23 at its lower end in which is mounted a front steering and supportingwheel 24 equipped with a pneumatic tire 25. Laterally and rearwardlyextending braces 26 are fixed to opposite sides of the steering column2| at its lower end, and the lower ends of these braces are rigidlyattached to the forward end of the platform 5 at opposite sides of thepost 20. The steering post 22 is equipped at its upper end with aforwardly extending arm 21 to which is bolted at 28 a sleeve 29 havingone end of a steering bar or handle 30 secured therein. The steering baror handle 30 projects laterally in a direction away from the crank I6 sothat the latter is provided plenty of clearance for its operation. Thearrangement is such that the person occupying the platform in a sittingposition may readily reach the crank Hi to operate the same with onehand while controlling the steering wheel by grasping the steeringhandle or bar 30 with the other hand. By turning the crank IS in theproper direction, the vehicle may be propelled either forwardly orrearwardly, and. the direction simple and durable vehicle of the kinddescribed 7 which is convenient to use and operate, particularly bycrippled or invalid persons.

I claim:

1. A wheeled vehicle of the character described comprising a lowhorizontal platform, a rotatable rear axle having the rear end of theplatform suspended therefrom, traction wheels secured on the ends of therear axle and disposed at opposite sides of the rear end portion of theplatform, a

substantially fiat transverse back rest mounted on the rear end of saidplatform between the rear ward end of the platform intermediate thesides 7 of the latter, a steering column rigid with the upper end ofsaid last-named post, a steering post journaled in said steering columnand having a steering and supporting wheel of the same size as the rearwheels mounted in the lower end thereof, and a single steering handlesecured on the upper end of said steering post and projecting laterallytherefrom in a direction away from said crank when the supporting andsteering wheel is disposed to travel straight ahead, the platform beingunobstructed from the rear'wheels to its front end at the other sidethereof and being disposed near enough to the ground to enable a leglessperson to mount the same or dismount therefrom in front of the rearwheels and the back rest.

traction wheels, said platform being provided at i,

one side with a lateral extension projecting in front of one of the reartraction wheels,'a sprocket wheel carried by said one rear tractionwheel, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined post mounted on the forwardend of said lateral extension and having a bearing at its upper end, atransverse horizontal shaft journaled in said bearing and equipped atits outer end with a'sprocket wheel,

asprocket chain passing around said sprocket wheels, 2, hand crank 0nthe inner end of said transverse horizontal shaft, a post rigid with andextending upwardly and forwardly from the for- 2. The constructiondefined in claim 1, in com Ioination with a brace fixed at its lower endon the rear end of said extension and projecting upwardly and forwardlytherefrom, the upper end of said brace being attached to said bearing,and braces rigid with the lower end of the steering column and extendingrearwardly and laterally therefrom, the lower ends of the last namedbraces being fixed to the forward end of the platform at points spacedfrom and at opposite sides of the steering column.

WILLIAM J. HALE.

